


Cherry Cola

by M_c



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Dark Academia Kylo, Eventual Smut, Pining, Retro Small Town, Summer AU, adding tags as I write, age gap, stays in the corner of the library, what happens in the corner of the library
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:28:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24031303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_c/pseuds/M_c
Summary: Goal: make this Summer your bitchMore Realistic Goal: Kylo Ren makes you his bitch
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Reader, Kylo Ren/You
Comments: 12
Kudos: 62





	1. Blue Velvet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This is my first try at writing. I know it's a little weird right now, but I'm hoping it'll get better. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing, but oh well. Let's get this party started. Please feel free to leave comments and enjoy!

This Summer couldn’t have come any slower, but now that you’re here it all seems worth it.

Currently, you were strolling down the Main Street of this tiny town with your two best friends, past curfew, your favorite drink in hand, and on your way to do whatever teenagers do in a fun coming of age movie or whatever. You had only been friends with Dianne Lorimer and Atsuko Saito for maybe a year and a half, so this was the first time you had been invited to this Summer vacation that Ko’s family apparently goes on every year. You had taken a gap year between high school and college so you were 20 while all of your classmates were 18 or 19, but you didn’t notice the tiny age gap with Ko and Di. 

“Aaaaaand here we are.” Dianne points out, stopping all three of you in your tracks. In front of you was a dingy, little shack with a neon sign that read: “PSYCHIC SHOP” with a little crystal ball next to it. All of a sudden you were feeling a little nauseous. When you were promised a cool adventure you imagined a secret path next to the beach, not a dusty, old psychic shop. Dianne picked up on your hesitation, though.

“Okay, I know it doesn’t look super legit or whatever, but it’s cool, trust me. Plus Ko and I have come here before and it seemed-”

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” You huffed. You would normally hate sketchy stuff like this but, hey, you gotta start this Summer with a bang, right?. 

“Wow, okay. That took a lot less arguing than I was prepared for.” She said, exhaling all of the air she was ready to lecture you with. 

“Really, Di? This place?” Ko said as you walked in. You were immediately greeted by the smell of herbs and flowers. Of course.

“Yes, Ko. _This_ place. It’s where we were told that we were going to be best friends!”

“Di, we were going to hang out all Summer no matter what. She obviously saw two little girls who were hanging out together and guessed! I don’t believe in fortune telling but I _do_ believe in people who have basic observation skills!” Ko whisper-yelled. At least she had enough taste to not bash the establishment we were standing in at full volume.

“Y/N,” Di said, peeved “please tell Ko this isn’t stupid.”

“Well, I don’t really-” 

“Ladies...how can I help you?”

A tall, motherly woman was standing at the counter behind you. None of you had noticed her enter, and immediately whipped your heads around in surprise. 

“Hi, yes, we would like to get a reading for this one!” Di said, pushing you forward. You gave her an awkward wave. 

“Ah, okay,” the woman said kindly “well, seeing as it’s almost closing and nobody else is here, I can squeeze you in right now.”

Before you could even give a response the lady turned, motioning for you to follow her. You glanced over your shoulder at Ko, but she had already plopped onto a couch and started in on one of the magazines lying around. Di gave you a little shove and gave you an excited thumbs up. You reached a small room down the hall and found the lady already sitting down with a crystal ball between her hands. 

_Alright. This is happening._ You sighed.

As soon as you sat down the lady closed her eyes and began, what you assumed was, working. 

“Mmmm I see a mysterious figure.”

 _Great_ , you thought, _Ko was right. I hope this wasn’t expensive because you sure as hell weren’t paying for this. Di has all the money out of the three of you anyways, and she’d love to pay for this._

“This figure will come into your life soon and- oooh. Here’s something interesting: This figure will either heighten your life immeasurably or prove to be a fatal mistake.” And with that she fluttered her eyes open and stared intensely at you for a moment before shifting around the room, probably getting ready to close up shop.

You stood up, a little amused by this cryptic advice and slightly shocked by the extreme brevity of your session. She seemed so nice back at the front...

“Well, thank you.” You said, still a little shell-shocked.

“Kid,” the woman slowly turned to you, “be careful. That’s some off-the-record advice. I know you and your friends may not believe in what I practice, but you seem smart enough to be careful even without my advice. I do hope you take my words and reflect upon them.” 

“Um...yes...thank you.”

And with that you rushed back to the front of the shop towards your friends. 

“Hey, Y/N, how’d the scamming go?” Ko mused. 

“Good, yeah...um. Very weird actually.” This building was freaking you out more by the second. “Let’s just leave, okay?”

“Okay. I just left $100 dollars on her desk.” Di said sheepishly, “I hope that covers it.” You would’ve told her it definitely wasn’t worth that much money, but you decided that the psychic woman would be thankful. That and you didn’t want to spend any more time in that place.

You burst out into the cool Summer night, breathing in the herb-free air. Ko followed close behind, probably just as happy to get out of there as you.

“So, what’d she say?”

“She said something like, ‘You will meet a mysterious figure who will either heighten your life immeasurably or prove to be a fatal mistake.’”

“Shit,” Ko exclaimed “you, my friend, were just scammed soooo hard.” Thank God Ko knew exactly how to bring your mood up.

“Well, actually, I think Di’s the one who got scammed here.” You say, laughing at Di’s characteristic gullibleness.

“Speak of the devil…” Ko whispers, looking behind you at Di skipping toward you guys. 

“Sooooo, how’d it go, Y/N?”

“Honestly, Di,” You put on your best puppy dog eyes, “I'm a little freaked. Do you think you could get me a cola?” Ko started laughing cause she knew that not only were you completely unscathed, but you would never pass up a chance to get a free soda. 

“Ko, don’t laugh at her! She’s obviously traumatised!” Di patted your back, guiding you to your feet. “One cherry coca cola coming right up!” 

Despite her sometimes suffocating enthusiasm and occasional blonde moments - even though she’s a brunette - you loved Di. You could tell she was the kind of friend who would always take care of you.

Soon, you three were back to walking down Main Street on your way to get a cola and maybe listen to music by the beach. You took in this perfect moment as you slowed your stride, falling back, watching Di coerce Ko into skipping with her all the way to the beach. Ko may have a hard exterior, but she secretly loves Di’s impossibly positive attitude. It’s contagious. 

Your eyes fell on the rest of the street and you let your mind wander. The day had consisted of unpacking so you hadn’t taken any time to appreciate how cute this little town was. You noticed a small missing poster stapled to a tree near the edge of the street. You shook your head, _such a small town cliché._ There was one diner that most everyone went to that you were sure was from the 50’s, cracked roads, one general store, and - your favorite - a singular bookstore. School may have made you hate reading but just being around all of that history and knowledge felt comforting. In fact, you were about to round the corner that it sat on. The corner that Di and Ko had skipped around a while before you did.

Then you saw him. Well, actually you _didn’t_ see him. You bumped into him. He was coming out of the bookstore and turned the corner at the exact same time you did. You were going to apologize, but you realized that you had to crane your neck up to meet his eyes, and his sheer size was enough to silence you.

Black locks of hair wisping around his face in the cool breeze and midnight eyes that trapped yours in his gaze. The world seemed to freeze while you gazed into each other's eyes. You had never seen a man so beautiful or intimidating in your life. It didn’t help that he was walking out of the bookstore, a place that you loved so much. It got to a point where you were sure you had been standing there for a couple minutes drooling over him while he was probably just trying to get home. 

“Excuse me, Miss…” His voice was like blue velvet.

“Y/N. Um...yeah, yes. It’s Miss Y/N.” God, you hated yourself.

“Excuse me, Miss Y/N.” He gave you a polite smile. Then he placed his large hand on the small of your back, maneuvering around you. And with that he was gone. 

You were sure that if it weren’t for the dim lighting from the moon, he would’ve been able to see your embarrassingly intense blush. He was so close you could smell the lingering cologne he had on from that day. You couldn’t believe how starstruck he had left you. He had to be at least 25. He seemed so poised and mature, as well as you could see the slight crinkle near his eyes when he gave you that beautiful smile. And then you heard Di and Ko off in the distance and snapped out of your trance.

Oh God.

Curfew. Yes, you were 20 whole years old, but Ko was 18 and her parents were unbelievably strict. You’re living under their roof so you have to follow their rules. And those rules state: no going out after 10:30. It was currently 11:30. The only reason you three snuck out was because Di promised that she was going to take you on an adventure which turned out to be a bust anyways. But that didn’t matter. You just ran into this stranger who might know the Saitos and rat you guys out which would most definitely get you put on the naughty list for the rest of the Summer. Maybe he wouldn't tell. He doesn’t seem like the type to snitch. Maybe. Ugghhh! You have no idea!

You heard Di and Ko’s rambling dying down, remembering that if they thought you had disappeared they would probably call the police immediately. You started trotting to catch up to the two before they noticed you were lagging too far behind. 

_No_ , you assured yourself, _I’m sure this man doesn’t even recognize us. This Summer is going to be my bitch whether it likes it or not._

  
  



	2. You're My Religion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eh, who reads these anyways? Plus I'm not good at summaries. But thank you for 6 kudos in a couple hours!

Two days had passed since your first encounter with Mystery Man - which was the name you decided to give him seeing as it was pretty fitting. He was, in fact, mysterious and a man. You, Di, and Ko had spent those two days sunbathing on the beach. If she hadn’t assured you she was putting on an acceptable amount of sunscreen, you would have thought Di was trying to get skin cancer. Ko, on the other hand, whether she liked it or not had to wear 100 SPF and be under some form of shade at all times. She said she would’ve been out in the sun with you two, but her parents hated when she tanned, and even though she hated being told what to do, she knew that she'd be sleeping outside if they saw her any darker than Pale Eggshell™.

Then there was you. Not particularly worried about the prescribed sunscreen application every 35 minutes, but also not as acclimated to Sun rays as Di. This combination ended up in you having to apply aloe vera every hour, in a vain attempt to soothe the constant burn of your skin.

Walking back to Ko’s house you felt like you were a sad piece of bacon sizzling in a frying pan. And to top it all off, you were looking like a burnt pig in between Ko, who looked like a porcelain doll, and Di, who looked like she was ready for a Victoria Secret photoshoot.

 _Just my luck,_ you thought humorlessly, _two days into my “perfect Summer” and I’m burnt to a crisp._

Later that night, you thanked God that you had friends who were willing to apply aloe vera all over your crispy body for you. That’s how you know you’ve got keepers. You were thankful that when you looked in the mirror at the end of the night you at least looked kinda cute with rosy cheeks.

➵ ▪ ➵ ▪ ➵ ▪ ➵ ▪ ➵ ▪ ➵ ▪ ➵

Sunday morning, Mr. Saito's booming voice violently tore you from your peaceful sleep. You tenderly rolled over to check the time. Six o’clock. In the AM.

“Ugggghhhhh…” All three of you groaned in unison.

“Up, up, up!” Mrs. Saito yelled up the stairs.

“Don’t we still have, like, an hour until church?” Di asked from under her comforter.

“Yeah, but, as I’ve said, my parents are crazy so…” Ko was already out of her bed, rubbing the lack of sleep from her eyes. You had all stayed up late talking about your favorite late night topic: conspiracy theories. Of course you and Di believed in everything, but Ko had to shoot you both down with cold, hard facts after every theory you brought up.

Soon enough, you gingerly got out of bed and slipped on one of your more church-appropriate dresses. You felt nauseous and the overwhelming smell of eggs and bacon coming from the kitchen didn’t help to clear your senses at all. You were going to try to put on some mascara, at least, which proved to be a difficult task. Your hand was so shaky you had to accept going over your lashes just a couple times before rushing downstairs with your friends. Mr. and Mrs. Saito were already gone by the time you three made it to the kitchen. So, you all grabbed a few bites and scampered out the door to get to church on time. Thankfully, when you arrived, the Saitos let you sit down quietly without too much lecturing.

 _Oh my God, they’re treating us like children!_ You thought, suddenly feeling sorry for Ko that she has to put up with them on a daily basis.

“'Why do you ask Me about what is good?'” The man standing up front began abruptly. Now that you thought about it, you had never really been to church before. The man pushed on. “'There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.' 'Which ones?' the man asked. Jesus answered, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery,do not steal, do not-'”

Suddenly the room temperature seemed to jump to 100 degrees in a matter of seconds. The room began spinning like a carnival ride. The words being spoken were blurring together and mushed into a muffled buzzing.

“Oh God,” you choked, trying to hold yourself together “I’m sorry, but...I...I have to, um, to leave.” Di and Ko looked at you, concerned, but you told them not to worry. At this point, your body was on autopilot and the only thing you knew was that you had to exit this building. You had heard about sun poisoning before, but now you understood what it actually was. Note to self: don’t be a moron, and use sunscreen!

You flew out the front doors of the church ready to hurl, but it never happened. You stood there, outside on the little front terrace, hunched over, just raggedly breathing in the air. You never thought you would like Ohio, but something about the air made you feel so much clearer, so much calmer. That, and there was greenery all around you. No trace of pollution or overpopulation or the looming presence of global warming in sight.

As your stomach settled you walked over to the far corner of the terrace. You found yourself taking in your surroundings, admiring the beauty of this quaint little town. You grew to like it more and more every day you were there. What can you say? It was growing on you. The church lived at the end of Main Street, looming over the rest of town. It seemed like an intimidating monument until you noticed the gathering of trees and bushes and flowers surrounding its stone walls.

As you peered deeper into the trees you spotted a house. What surprised you most was not the fact that it was the only house within a 200 foot radius or that it was strangely gothic for such a colorful, retro town. No, you were taken aback by the person sitting on its front porch. It was him, your Mystery Man.

He was lazily milling over a book, his leg thrown over the side of his huge wicker chair, glasses resting loosely in his free hand. His hair seemed slept-in and you happened to notice he was wearing nothing but shorts and a half-open button down. He looked so effortless. Simple yet poised. Brooding yet ephemeral. It was as if he was waiting for someone to witness this perfect little scene he had set up. For now, you chose to fall into his trap, resting your still aching head on top of the edge to admire him for a bit.

Against the backdrop of his own house he made a lot more sense. Seeing as you had only bumped into him one time, you had a hard time placing his personality. Everyone in this town seemed to be either old and crotchety or a teenager looking to party, but he was different. And now that you were observing him in his natural habitat, he seemed to live in his very own ecosystem. Separate from the other townies. Hell, he was probably the only other person in town who wasn’t in church right now, besides you, of course. You had never been an overtly religious person, but you were starting to see how one could worship, so closely, the idea of someone without even knowing them. You could hear the soft, distant hum of organ music from inside the church. It was like the angelic soundtrack to the silent movie you were currently viewing.

 _I probably shouldn’t be staring so much_ , you thought, snapping out of your fantasizing. _I’m basically spying on him in his own home. Ew. Is this Pervy? I should stop. I think I feel good enough to go back inside._

As if he could hear your thoughts, Mystery Man looked up from his book for the first time in minutes and, even through the layers of trees between you, his eyes settled on your own. _Shit._ If he was freaked out he didn’t show it because he just gave you a curt, neighborly nod and a slight smile and kept your gaze, most likely waiting for a similar, neighborly response.

And then you spewed chunks all over the side of the terrace.


	3. How To Disappear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, Ladies, Gents, and non-binary friends, we’re picking up right where we left off.

Yep, that just happened.

One second you were having your first semi-religious experience and the next you were littering the church lawn with this morning’s breakfast. You hadn’t eaten much though, so it really only took a couple heaves to empty your stomach. And then your body threw in a couple dry ones - probably as an F U. Ew.

 _I really hope he wasn’t watching._ Was the only thing you could manage to think at the moment. You didn’t have the guts (no pun intended) to check if he saw, but who were you kidding. Of course he saw. And now you could never show your face in this town ever again.

“Y/N...? Oh my God, Y/N!” Ko and Di lifted you up, picking up your hair and giving you a once-over.

You were still slightly disoriented. “Wha-what are you guys doing? Aren’t you still supposed to be in there?” You pointed lazily toward the wooden doors behind them.

“Yeah,” Ko answered sarcastically, “but my mom was generous enough to let us go check on you in case you were, like, kidnapped or something.”

 _I knew it._ You nodded in agreement. Puking really did a number on you. You could feel yourself getting tired already.

Your friends looked at each other above you, silently communicating, and with a heave-ho, Ko and Di put you on their shoulders.

“Alright, Y/N, we’re gonna move on over to the bathroom and clean you up.” Di said very slowly and punctuated like she was speaking to a 5-year-old.

"Ohh girl! We got some work to do.” Ko laughed.

Once in the bathroom, Di grabbed a few paper towels and started wiping down your face. Ko moved behind you and tied your hair into a loose ponytail.  
They tag teamed cleaning you up until all three of you found yourselves in separate corners, exhausted. Ko was sitting in the middle of the floor, Di was leaning against the door, and you propped yourself up on the sink counter.

“Soooooo next time maybe you shouldn’t question my sunblock usage, and start questioning your own.” Di narrowed her eyes at you.

You waved her off. “Yeah, yeah.” You all fell silent for a minute. One thought kept floating around in your hazy mind. You realized that you hadn’t told your friends about your little encounter with Mystery Man. And if anyone had the scoop on every single person in town, it would be the two girls in front of you.

“Hey, do you guys know about this guy in town...He’s, like, super tall and has dark wooshy hair. Oh, he’s also maybe in his late 20’s. He wears glasses and he looks like he’s smart. Ya know? He just kinda gives off those intellectual vibes.” Ko and Di gave each other a knowing glance.

“Wait. What...What’s going on? Who is he?” Now you were worried.

Ko cleared her throat. “His name is Kylo Ren.” She took a moment to consider what she was going to say next. It’s at times like this you could totally see her parents in her. “He’s lived here for as long as my family’s been coming here. I think he’s, like, 30…? He’s one of the only permanent residents of Lakeview-”

Di interrupted, pretending to snore. “Boringggg. She’s, like, giving you his Linkedin profile. And lemme just say, girl, thank God I’m here to give you his Tinder...or whatever. Anyways, first things first - you should know every single girl in town thinks he’s hot, so hop on the boat with the rest of us. Second, he’s kinda…weird. Well, that's what everyone in town thinks.”

You craned your head to the side. “What do you mean weird?” You knew it. He _did_ seem too good to be true. 

“He’s just really quiet, but I think it gives him this really cool, mysterious kinda thing going for him.”

Ko jumped in, rolling her eyes at Di. “Well let me just say, I’m not blinded by his hotness so I have, like, a real opinion on him. He’s weirdly quiet. Like, I swear I’ve never seen him with another human being.”

 _Maybe he’s just awkward?_ You could relate.

“Plus, he’s literally separated from the rest of the town. His house is so far away from every other house in town. And it has a striking resemblance to the Monster House house.” She shuddered. “He just doesn’t fit in. He's, like, a kermit or something.”

"I'm sorry, a _what_ now?" If Di were drinking water she'd be doing a spit take right now. "Are you dumb?"

"Yes, a kerm-"

"Oh my God I can't believe yo-"

You let them bicker about that one for a while. It was giving you some time to think.

Well, Ko obviously doesn’t like him. Di seems to be fine with him though. But also from the little you had seen, he seemed fine. If anything, he seemed more normal than a lot of the other townies. One time, you happened to strike up a conversation with a random man in the general store and he proceeded to give you a detailed description of his stuffed squirrel collection. You haven’t volunteered to get toilet paper since. Anyway, Kylo Ren seemed less strange than Squirrel Dude. For sure.

“Why do you ask?” Di stopped mocking Ko long enough for her to direct her attention back toward you.

“I may have, perchance, possibly, definitely, kinda bumped into him that night we snuck out to go to the psychic.” You were ready for them to burn you at the stake, but instead they rushed you with questions.

“What? How? Are you okay? When? I thought we were with you the whole night?”

“Really? What did he smell like? What was he wearing? Ooooh did he have on those glasses? You know... _those_ glasses?”

“Wait, wait, wait. So you don’t care that someone caught us while we were breaking curfew?”

“Nahhh.” Ko waved the thought away. “Well, at least not with him. Like I said, he doesn’t really talk to anyone. And my dad doesn’t like him - I mean, who does he like - but they would never come close to talking.” Wow you were really stressing over nothing.

For the next couple minutes Di relentlessly bombarded you with questions. You tried your best to answer her, though, giving Ko a pleading look every once in a while. Thankfully, Di was satisfied with your answers after a while. She proposed that you go back to the house and rest and you couldn’t disagree. You were feeling better talking to your friends, but you knew that you had to stay inside for a while if you were going to try to cure your sun poisoning or whatever.

You all heard people coming out of church, probably heading for the diner. You were told it was tradition to go to Dixie’s Diner after church, and you knew that Ko and Di wanted to stay with you, but you also knew that Ko’s parents would kill them if they didn’t go to their regular brunch.

“You guys go on ahead. I’m gonna stay in here for a little and finish washing up. And, Ko, please tell your dad that I’m sorry I’m not coming. Please don’t let him murder me tonight.” You all chuckled tensley at just how serious you were.

You reached your hands out for your friends to squeeze in solidarity. Then they jogged out of the bathroom to look for Ko’s parents.

You dabbed some wet spots on your dress with a paper towel and gurgled some water so that your breath wasn’t so god awful. Staring in the mirror, you huffed and decided you were presentable and you should probably head back home now.

 _Oh wait!_ You suddenly remembered that a new book you’ve been meaning to read came out lately. _I’ll stop by the bookstore and pick it up. Then I won’t be so bored in my little self-isolation._

You headed out of the bathroom and were back on the terrace. You shivered from the trauma that happened here just minutes ago. You gave a quick glance toward his house. He was gone.

_Yeah. I’d want a change of scenery after witnessing that if I were him too._

You noticed the suffocating heat as you walked down Main Street. _Perfect temperature for a nice cherry coke._ You walked past the familiar corner where you had first encountered Kylo Ren, down to the vending machines near the beach and retrieved your well deserved drink. Then, you began your trek back up to the bookstore.

Walking through the door you were hit by the comforting smell of old leather and weathered paper. Faint music was playing above you. You couldn’t make out any words, but it seemed like some kind of soft rock music. A timid bell sounded, signaling your entrance. You looked to the left, expecting to greet someone, but nobody was there.

 _Maybe it’s closed…?_ You thought. You peeked behind you to check if there was a CLOSED sign, but you couldn’t see anything. _They’re probably just in the back. Everyone in town’s at Dixie’s anyways. It’s not exactly rush hour in here._

The wooden boards crackled underneath your feet as you stepped further in the store. The interior was made up of dark wood and books of all shapes, ages, and genres crammed into every available space. Some books were placed in little piles on the floor, probably from people who sat down to read, got distracted, and then left it behind. You stared down the aisles of bookshelves, intrigued by the sizable collection. The tight aisles and messy interior made this place feel less like a store and more like someone’s home, which you appreciated. Bookstores with no personality are just as bad as books with no personality. You always needed a comfy space to read in.

You were drifting through the aisles trying to find the Murder Mystery section when you spotted movement a couple aisles over. You bent down slightly, peering through the books.

 _Ah, perfect._ The one person you didn’t want to see. He was leafing through a book that looked entirely too small in his giant hands. You quickly made up your mind: _Nope._ You had embarrassed yourself enough in front of this man. You walked a few aisles down, making sure to be quiet and keep your distance.

“Finally!” You groaned as you walked into the right section. It had taken you a solid 5 minutes and lots of checking over your shoulder for a Roman God of a man, but you found it. There was even a little display for the exact novel you were searching for. You glanced around once more. You spotted a secluded nook in the back corner with a large window that was left ajar. _Maybe the last person forgot about this secret alcove and couldn’t find their way back to close it..._ It was the perfect place to hide from unwanted visitors. There was a soft breeze sneaking in, twirling up and around the aisles and rustling the pages of open books as it whisked past.

 _Hm._ You checked for Kylo one last time. _Maybe I’ll chill here instead of at the house._

You picked up the book and settled into a comfortable reading position on the floor in front of the window, putting down your soda can. As you flitted through the pages you could feel the warm streams of light on your shoulders. You could hear the muffled sounds of kids playing on the volleyball court nearby. This was the perfect setting for you to get lost in the story. Each page pulled you further and further from reality until you were completely submerged in a different world. You were nearly 200 pages in when you heard the creaking of old wood and sturdy footsteps coming closer. He had found you.

You gathered the strength to lift your gaze. First, his shoes fell into your line of sight. He had on brown leather oxfords that you couldn’t help but notice were _big_. He had on freshly pressed linen pants and a thin, white button down. It was less open than when he was in the comfort of his own home, but open wide enough to spark your imagination. You could see a thin layer of sweat covering his skin due to the 90 degree weather you were having today. Finally, you reached his hair - wavy from the humidity and tucked thoughtlessly behind his ears.

Judging by the fact that he was towering over you, staring directly at you, you couldn’t escape this time. One thing kept pushing itself to the forefront of your mind: he just saw you spill your guts all over the side of the church. And to top it all off, you looked like the cherry on the coke bottle sitting beside you.

You wrenched your eyes shut for a quick second. _God, I wish I could just disappear._ You had become slightly disheveled whilst you were busy reading away at your book; your dress swept out on either side of you, hair put up into a lazy bun to keep it out of your face.

“Hello again, Miss Y/N.” He said with a gentle nod. His voice felt like thunder rumbling through you - deep and strong.

“Hey” You gave him a tiny wave and winced. _Yep, you hate yourself._

“I, uh...I saw you this morning and I was wondering if you were okay.”

“Oh...that? Psshhh yeah. It’s all good. My-my friends helped me clean up and, like, wash my face and I-I definitely rinsed my mouth, yep, made sure of that...and yeahh.” Your habit of oversharing was _really_ popping in to say hi right now.

“Good. Good.” He said, seemingly unphased about your general awkwardness. God, he was such an adult. “It looked like you were pretty sick back there, but I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He sounded genuinely concerned. And you were just glad he hadn’t made a remark about your _terrible_ sunburn. You gave him a pained smile.

“Ya like the book?” He motioned to the novel, now limp, in your hands. “It’s new in.”

“Yeah...yeah,” You were able to tear your eyes away from his face, focusing on the book in your hands. “I, um...I’ve only gotten a couple chapters into it, but I can already tell it’s gonna be good. Murder Mystery is, like, my favorite type of book.” You found that not looking directly into his eyes made him exponentially easier to talk to. It was like looking into the Sun, but if the Sun were the most handsome man you had ever seen. And talking about something you liked enabled you to form coherent thoughts.

“It’s my favorite genre, too.” He cracked a small grin.

 _Okay, now we’re getting somewhere._ A real smile slowly formed on your lips.

“Right? Something about the overlapping plotlines and POVs is what gets me. It’s what this author does best. Like, you can really understand what everyone’s motives are and stuff.”

Kylo slid down next to you, watching you become more impassioned with every word.

“And you really have to become the detective! ‘Cause, like, don’t even get me started on the detective. I swear he’s always the dumbest character in the books! Like, yeah, sure, we get to see into the other people’s heads but, like, he’s seen countless cases before. He should know what signs to look for! And, oh my God, they’re always such obvious signs!”

You were too busy ranting, you hadn’t noticed that he had scooted so close to you that you could feel the coarse fabric of his pants on your bare thigh. You could feel his eyes on you, his breath ghosting over your shoulder. His hand was resting on the edge of his lap, dangerously close to your own. It was intimidating having him so close to you, but you weren’t complaining. You felt like a schoolgirl sitting next to her Senior crush. You felt electricity just from being in his presence. You wondered what it would feel like if- _nope_. _Not gonna go there._ Ugh, you’re twenty-fucking-years old. Why are you acting like such a hormonal teenager?

“You know, if you like this book, I think I have another one that you’ll love. Actually I think it’s here somewhere…” He got up to look for it on the shelf in front of you. Despite your best efforts, you couldn’t help but feel let down that he was leaving your side so soon.

“Here, um, let me help you look. What’s it called?”

“Grey Mask by Patricia Wentworth.” _Interesting. You’d never heard of it before._ Is it possible you've found someone who's even more of an avid book reader than you?

You both searched the shelf for a minute. It was silent, but your heart was beating so loud you thought he might hear. You tried to compensate by focusing on the task at hand.

You dragged your fingertips over the spines. “Wallace...Wells...Wentworth! Found it!” Just your luck. It was in the highest possible location. You humphed to yourself and got up on your tippy toes. You strained your arms, reaching for the top shelf - you definitely couldn’t reach it, but you were _not_ going to settle for defeat.

“Here, let me.” Your laser focus distracted you from the fact that Mystery Man had sauntered behind you. Little did you know, he was enjoying watching you struggle. Like a little kid trying to reach over the countertop, begging for that last cookie.

He decided to help you, though, and closed the space between you two. One hand was on your waist while the other effortlessly reached for the book you were so desperately trying to get your hands on. He had you pinned against the books, his broad chest flat on your back.

You were frozen in your spot.

Maybe he knew what he was doing...or maybe he just didn’t understand personal space. Just like the night you first bumped into him, you could faintly smell the cologne he had on. Yep, it was just like you remembered. The muscles of his arms flexed in your peripheral vision. You hadn’t noticed how massive of a man he was. He was about a foot taller than you, and he was no lanky spaghetti noodle. _He was built_.

He easily found the book and pulled it down to his side. Never once did he budge from his position right behind you. And then, _DING!_ Another customer entered the store and time seemed to speed up again.

“I’ll check this out for you.” He whispered in your ear. It sent shivers down your spine.

And just like that, he was gone.

You hadn’t realized just how long you’d been in here. Although, judging by the amount of ladies in big floppy hats you could see from the window, you guessed that it was around midday and Dixie’s was emptying out. It felt as if, in the couple hours while everyone was away, you and he were the only two people in the universe. This tiny nook was now your little corner of the world. Maybe you’d be “sick” next Sunday too….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is significantly longer 'cause I took a little more time to write and revise than the previous chapters. I also just had a lot more ideas. I hope y'all like it because I can’t tell if it’s better or overkill.


	4. Million Dollar Man

The days were getting longer and warmer, signaling the start of a good Summer. While you had to make a resolution to have a kickass Summer, Di and Ko did it naturally. They decided to show you their favorite part of Summers at Lakeview - swing dancing. Every night all the teens in the town would gather at the gazebo and swing dance until the stereo broke down. It was the only time of day the kids could get away from the adults and just be kids. Unfortunately, your out-of-shape ass was not prepared for the stamina required, but it was the perfect excuse to down 5 cherry cokes in one night. Even though your movements were messy and you let your partner lead you 99% of the time, it was fun. Maybe the most fun you’d ever had. You felt like you were living in a movie. Little did you know, your Summer was definitely movie-worthy, but not in the way you had first imagined.

After the incident at the bookstore you began seeing Kylo around town more often. This next week would prove to be very...eventful. Now that you think about it, Di had recently started obsessing over something called "manifestation". Maybe it was rubbing off on you.

WEDNESDAY

You had been cooped up in the house since Sunday. It was partly because Mr. Saito was punishing you for everything and partly because you knew you had to wait this one out. You had had enough. Ko and Di were getting ready to leave for the beach and you were sat in your pajamas, moping.

“Guuyyss, I’m so bored. I _need_ to come with you. I feel so much better anyways!” Ko put her hand on your forehead. 

“Fine.” You did a little victory dance. “But, only as long as you promise to stay in the shade with me.”

“Yes! Thank you ma’am. I promise you won’t regret your decision!”

“Hey, keep being a smart ass and I’ll tell Di you wanna go back to the psychic.” Di perked up from her magazine. You rolled your eyes, pretending to lock your mouth and throw away the key.

Honestly you were just happy to be hanging out with them. You had learned that riding solo always got you into trouble. Exhibit A: Kylo Ren. Exhibit B: Stuffed Squirrel Man. You shuddered at the memory.

You watched as Ko and Di slipped into their bikinis. It was at times like this you kinda wished you weren’t their friend. Look, they’re amazing friends but they were _so_ perfect. And you...weren’t. You had to squeeze into your high-waisted bottoms and strappy little top. You were pretty secure in your body most of the time, but you had eyes. You noticed that everybody watched your friends walk down the street, with you right in between them, and not even give you so much as an afterthought of a glance. You were sure they hated being stared at, but you couldn’t help but feel a little envious. You hated this part of yourself.

“Hey, Y/N, you ready to head out?” Di waved her hand in front of your face, pulling you out of your existential crisis.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s hit the road!” You gave her a forced smile.

Once you arrived, Ko pulled you over to her usual spot. Over the many years of vacationing here, she had discovered that the section of sand next to the gazebo was perfectly shaded most of the day. You watched as Di set up her tanning station, basking in the golden sunlight while you and Ko laid on the cold sand. You hated sand.

“I do not know how you do this, Ko.”

“I’m like a reptile. I’ve adapted.” You both chuckled as you settled into your spots for the next couple hours. 

_Now’s the perfect time to start on your book_ , you thought, _the new one Kylo picked out for you._ You wrestled it out of your over-packed bag and plopped it down on your towel. It smelled like the store. Like him. You traced the edge of the book as you read the summary. _Huh, seems interesting enough_. You dipped into the book and didn’t look up until you were multiple chapters deep. Turns out he’s really good at guessing what you liked.

You decided to take a break for a second to people-watch. You immediately spotted Di in the water looking gorgeous even though she probably, like, had to pee or something. _Ah, you love your little Golden Retriever of a friend._ You looked to your right and Ko was asleep, probably tired from arguing with her parents all night. You heard her get called down and scolded, probably for letting you miss their Sunday brunch. You made a mental note to apologize to her later.

Scanning your eyes over the rest of the beach, you saw a group of kids running around with shells in hand, having fun. And then you saw the old geezers behind them yelling at them to “Slow down!”. You decided to flip onto your stomach. _Ugh, being outside is so draining._ You found yourself directly facing the gazebo, and guess who happened to be sitting right there? He was in loose shorts and a signature flowy button down. A book was resting, unopened, in his lap. He was just as attractive as you remembered him that morning on the church terrace. He was also wearing sunglasses. You couldn't see his eyes, but he seemed to be looking in your direction. You checked yourself, making sure a bird didn’t poop on you or something; making sure there was no reason to stare. However, you did see Di behind you, generously applying her next coat of sunscreen.

 _Oh, okay. He’s staring at her._ For some reason you felt a little jealous. _But it was normal for guys not_ to _be staring at you. It’s weird. Men are weird. Ugh men suck. Actually, I should tell him to fuck off or something._

With a new-found fire, you pulled down your sunglasses and met his gaze over the brim. You still couldn’t tell exactly where he was looking, but you were sure you were at least in his line of vision. He tilted his head to the side, amused at something. You turned to look at Di and noticed she was rubbing down her legs - very sensually, may you add.

 _Men really are pigs, huh?_ You rolled your eyes and set your focus back on him.

Everyone describes him as appear quiet and shy, but you’ve probably been closer to him than anyone in this town - not on purpose - and you could only describe his presence as _dominant_. His stare was intense and demanding. Then he lowered his chin, revealing his eyes. He was staring right at you. You threw up your middle finger, giving him a death stare, but he held your gaze, unabashed. If anything, he was silently challenging you. He even had a smug little smirk planted on his face. You wanted to hold your ground. You wanted to show him that just because he’s hot he doesn’t get a pass to be gross. But you couldn’t handle staring straight into his eyes for so long - again, he’s like the freaking Sun! You looked down at your book - his book - annoyed.

He leaned back in his chair and pushed his glasses back up. His eyes were hidden once again. He was probably already scoping out the next poor girl to perv on.

 _Can’t believe I ever thought he was hot. Well, he still is...but now he’s just hot and creepy. Of course Ko was right. She always is_ . You thought back to your encounter on Sunday. The empty bookstore. The very unsubtle physical contact. The tension. You knew they were flags. Every part of your logical brain wanted you to see that. But the illogical side couldn’t decide what color those flags were. You thought you two bonded. Sure, he got a little close but he didn’t do anything pervy when he had every chance. And it's not like you were sending him any signs that you didn't like him. You did like him- _do_ like him.

 _Maybe he wasn’t looking at Di. Maybe…_ The thought crossed your mind once or twice. It made your heart flutter each time, but you immediately shot it down. It was wayyyy more likely that this gorgeous man was checking out your friend instead of you. It's impossible for someone to be so handsome and respectful. Impossible. Otherwise the world would fall out of orbit because the equilibrium had been broken. He'd be too good to be true. 

THURSDAY

Ah, the candy store. Your greatest foe yet. Everytime you walk into it you can’t help but want every single thing you set eyes on. Sugar is your Achilles heel. That’s why you were addicted to cherry coke. It’s the most socially acceptable ultra-sugary drink you can chug down at least 3 of a day. Plus, it was only a quarter at the vending machines. Like, that is such a good deal! You couldn’t resist. To make a long story short: your weekly trip to the candy store was one of the highlights of this vacation.

You hummed to yourself as you walked through the door. The nice old lady in the front was always there around this time - she gave you a little wave. She was probably expecting you - at this point you were getting pretty familiar with the store and the store was getting pretty familiar with you. 

_Okay. Let’s get down to business._ You had given yourself a budget for this trip and made sure to account for the sweets you were bound to buy. You didn’t have much, so you had to be strategic. You headed straight for the taffy section. For some reason, you were never a chocolate kind of person so your go-to candy was anything taffy-like or fruit flavored. Your favorite flavor was cherry - if it wasn’t already obvious.

 _Four bucks...four bucks...four bucks…_ You chanted in your head, trying to keep yourself on track. First, you made sure to grab your must-have: Sour Patch - specifically the extra sour kind. Then you grabbed some Jelly Beans, some Airheads, Nerds, a Push Pop…. Stopping yourself for a second, you added up how much you had in your little bag. _Cool, 15 cents left._

“Oh gosh, which do I get…?” You squatted down to the bottom shelf. You were stuck between the last couple Chupa Chup lollipops and a pack of Big League Chew gum. You only had enough for one or the other. You scrunched up your face, deep in debate with yourself.

“I’d suggest the lollipops. The flavor lasts much longer than the gum.”

You put down the gum. “Oh, that’s true! Thank y-” You went silent as soon as you saw his face. He was leaning on the wall next to you. _God, does he ever, like, announce his presence??_ You hated that he got you so flustered so easily. _He's just like every other person in town...just...tall and muscular and elegant...ahhhh shut up! He’s a total perv, remember?_ His little stint at the beach almost slipped your memory.

“Do you...need some help up?” _Oh, right. He’s still here._

“No thanks, Mystery M-Mr. Ren, Kylo. Nope, I’m good.” _Whew, almost blew your cover right there._ He shrugged and watched you stand up...ungracefully, to say the least.

“Here, let me get that for you.” Kylo grabbed the little bag out of your hand. His fingers grazed yours for a brief moment. He led you toward the cash register, and you mindlessly followed. You were hypnotized by him.

“Wait-” You were able to catch yourself just in front of the counter. “Actually...I can pay for it. Yeah, I’m good. I don’t need a man to come, swoop in and just buy things for me.”

 _Whoa, y/n, coming on a little too strong there._ Ah, what can you say? Aggression is easier to feel than vulnerability.

He stopped mid-stride, spinning to face you. “I didn’t mean it like that…” _Great, he was just trying to be nice and you ruined it._ “But i still want to get it for you.” He thought for a moment. “Let’s say I’m getting it because I have some extra cash I wanna get rid of.” He threw you a wink as he placed the bag on the counter.

 _Oh, yep. Your heart was gonna explode. This is how you die._ If it weren’t so obvious, you would’ve steadied yourself on a nearby table and hyperventilated. But you couldn’t do that so you waddled up next to him, trying to act casual. The woman gave Kylo a suspicious look and then shifted her stare between the two of you. You were starting to realize that you looked and felt like a little kid next to this man. He towered over you in height and in everything else. She probably thought he was, like, your sugar daddy or something. _Great_.

“That’ll be four dollars eighty-five cents.”

_Hm. Guess you kinda did need him to pay for this…_

“So, you like candy?” He confidently handed over his credit card, side-eyeing you.

“Yeah. I guess. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine.” Suddenly you were very aware that he was staring at you. And he was _close_. You also became hyper-aware that you were wearing a thin, little tank top and a pair of short shorts - in your defense, it was boiling hot that day. You started to heat up.

 _I definitely look like a fatass to this dude._ You felt your heart sink. _This is humiliating._

He cleared his throat. “Cute.” You whipped your head up to look at him. He was staring straight ahead, waiting eagerly for the receipt. He cleared his throat again. You could barely tell he even made a noise, but you were sure you didn’t just hear what you thought you heard. Your brain was probably just trying to cope with the suffocating embarrassment by making things up.

The little lady handed Kylo the bag and gave you a gummy smile. “See you next week!” You silently cringed.

“Yep, see you...then. Bye” You said in a tiny whisper.

You both stepped out of the store and onto the sidewalk. In the sunlight, it was obvious how pale he was. He probably spent most of his time cooped up in his house or something. 

_Maybe everyone's right. Maybe this guy really is a creep_ . He handed you your little bag of goodies. _But he’s only ever been nice to me._

“Thanks...” 

“Anytime.” You both stood there for a second, neither of you knowing what to do or what the other was thinking. Thankfully, Kylo spoke up first.

“I’m not normally a sweets person but maybe I should be.” He was staring at you with an indistinguishable look in his eyes, a hint of a mischievous grin on his face. You gave a polite laugh. You really didn't know what to do in this situation. You wanted to talk more to him - learn about him, learn if what everybody says is true. You wanted to listen to his voice more. You wanted to run away and go cry in your room for some reason...? You wanted to do all of these things, but instead you held out your bag.

"You want one?" Your body was moving faster than your mind. 

"Well, if you're offering..." He reached into the bag and grabbed two lollipops. One, he unwrapped and took into his mouth, and the other he handed to you.

"Oh, thank you." You followed his lead and unwrapped yours, popping it into your mouth. He was watching you intently. _Oh, this is weird. He thinks you're weird. You just offered him a piece of candy and now you're both standing around, completely silent, sucking on your respective lollipops._

You both spoke at the same time. 

"I should probably-"

"I think I have to-oh. You go ahead." He nodded his head for you to continue.

"Oh, I was just gonna say I should probably be heading back to the house now. My friends and I are having a Disney marathon soon..." _TMI. Again. And now you look like a little kid. "DiSnEy mArAtHoN,"_ you mocked yourself in your head.

“Course, yeah. Have a good day, Y/N.” Kylo slid his hands into his pockets, gave you a curt nod, and turned on his heel. You were left there on the sidewalk feeling relieved yet so unsatisfied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos, guys! I hope to upload every other day, but we'll see how well that works out...


	5. Burning Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tension tension tension...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's over 6k words, wow.

FRIDAY

“Heads - you can have it all to yourself. Tails - It’s all mine.”

“So I’m just completely out of the equation here or...?” Di tried to get your attention, but neither of you were listening.

“Ohhh it’s so on.” 

If it weren’t you and Ko fighting over who got their own side of the booth at Dixies, this conversation would seem much cooler. 

Ko flicked the quarter up into the air. And in one dramatic swoosh she had caught it in her palm and smacked it onto her other hand, concealing it from both of you.

“Aaaaaaaaaaand...Dammit, heads!” 

“Ohhhhh yeah. You can suck it! Uh!” You made some...rude gestures which you were definitely gonna regret doing right in front of Dixie’s at prime dinner time, but for now you didn’t care. This small win was giving you a major power trip. 

You flung open the door of Dixie’s like a sheriff kicking her way into a saloon full of criminals. Your friends were lagging behind you, already feeling some second-hand embarrassment, while you sauntered over to your typical booth. You made a scene of dusting off your throne and then jumping into the seat. Honestly it wasn’t a massive deal, but you loved being able to stretch out your legs. 

Ko and Di squished into the seat in front of you, and you picked up the faded menu. You had decided to try a new item on the menu every time you ate here, and today was “Breakfast for dinner”. It was a meal fit for a winner.

You took in the rest of the diner. It was mint green and pink with chrome accents. It would have made you gag normally, but here it made you reminiscent of simpler times. The jukebox in the corner was constantly playing the Pussycat Dolls or generic country music. _Geez nobody has music taste here,_ you mused. It was 6 at night - a high time for the diner. Every single table was filled. If it wasn’t a family having their weekly night out, it was a group of teens - much like your friends - who wanted a place to hang out and eat fries. It was the epicenter of this little town.

“Okay. Tonight’s topic is: boys.” Di squirmed and giggled in her seat like a little kid. “I’ll start. You see that guy in the grey shirt at the end of the counter?” She nodded her head in his direction. You and Ko turned your heads to look, but Di smacked you both on the back of the head before you could even get a glimpse. 

“Oh my god don’t be so obvious! Sometimes it feels like I’m taking care of two senior citizens. You can look but only one at a time. And you have to swivel your head. He can’t know you’re looking at him. You gotta pretend like you’re looking around the room!” She said this as if it was common knowledge. You and Ko rolled your eyes, but you followed her directions. First Ko; then you.

“All that fuss and he’s not even that cute.” Ko sighed. 

Normally Di had really good taste in guys, but he wasn’t doing it for you. He was wearing cargo shorts and a tight-fitting t-shirt. His movements were awkward and juvenile, he slouched, and to top it all off he ate like a toddler who hadn’t quite grasped the idea of utensils. He had a goofy smile and his eyes were full of carelessness. He seemed like your average teenage boy who takes pictures with every fish he catches. At the beginning of this year you would have eaten him up, but now something wasn’t clicking. He was conventionally attractive - you had to give him that - but he wasn’t your _type_. Hm, you never knew you had a type. All you knew was that he wasn’t it.

“Enough child’s play. If you would like to see a real man, please direct your attention to the booth in the back. Ah, Dom Turner.”

Dom Turner had apparently been Ko’s crush for years. As she recounted:

“It was the Summer before sixth grade. He was shorter than me and a little dorky, but I could just tell he was gonna grow up to be hot. And I was right. We hung out a lot those first few Summers, but after a couple years he found new friends. Puberty hit him and suddenly he was too cool for me.”  
  
“It hasn’t stopped her from obsessing over him though,” Di chimed in, munching loudly on her salad. “But her dad hates him - says he’s too ‘loose with his morals’, whatever that means.’’

“That’s my old man for you.” Ko sighed. “Enough about me. What about you, Y/N? Anyone catch your eye? Come on, you _have_ to have a crush. It makes life so much more interesting.”

“Eh.” 

“Look around the diner! Pretty much every young guy in town’s in here. I know you’re, like, 47, but you can still have crushes.” You rolled your eyes at her dig. She was only 2 years younger than you.

You took a nice thorough look around the diner this time. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just different. I’m not the ‘crush type’ anyways.”

“No. I don’t accept that. Look harder.”

“Fine.” You scanned past the gaggle of teens around the jukebox, past the hot dads, and past the old men in the corner. You found yourself drawn to the counter at the back of the diner. Specifically, you found yourself drawn to one person at the counter. He was sitting alone, drinking a Coke straight out of the glass bottle. He had thick, black hair that fell just below his ears and his legs were scrunched below him because his legs were too long for the stool. Even if he was a perv, you had to admit he was attractive. You were staring directly behind your friends at this point and they noticed your obvious yearning.

“Woah, who are you looking at?” Di subtly checked over her shoulder. And before you could say anything, she was squealing. “Oh my god! You like-” She lowered her voice. You braced yourself. “You like Shawn!”

“No n-oh. Yeah. Haha I guess I do.” They thought you were looking at the scrawny kid on the next stool over. Honestly, you would rather them think you like this Shawn dude, than judge you for liking the person you were really looking at. Shawn wasn’t bad-looking, either. Your gaze shifted to him for a minute. _He’s actually pretty attractive._ You thought to yourself.

“Oh shit, Shawn! You like Shawn?!” Ko was caught so off-guard she choked on an ice cube in her drink.

“Would you guys stop?? I don’t want him to hear! Let’s just talk about something else! Please?” You hissed at the two giddy girls in front of you. It was true - you really didn’t want _him_ to hear it, but you weren’t talking about Shawn. You looked back up the line of people at the counter. 

_Damn, I hope he didn’t hear that._ He still wasn’t completely facing you, but his side profile was in your full view and his hair was tucked behind his ear. No longer being paid any attention, the book lay closed on the countertop, and he seemed to be searching for something in his half-full Coke bottle. You were no longer scared to look directly at him because you knew your friends would just assume you were ogling Shawn. 

Something in the air was making you brave. _Look at me. Look at me. Look at me._ You chanted it in your head like you were casting a spell. Your eyes bore holes into the side of his face. Something inside you told you to stay far away, but another part of you knew that this man was going to seduce you anyway.

As if on cue, he looked up from his bottle and his eyes instantly found yours. Your breath caught in your throat. Just like at the beach, he showed no signs of wanting to break eye-contact. He was radiating power and dominance. 

_And you thought your stare was intense…_

Without breaking his focus on you he put the glass bottle to his lips and threw his head back. His hair fell from his face and pooled at the nape of his neck. You licked your lips as you watched his adam’s apple bob up and down. His eyes moved to your mouth and he shifted in his seat. You studied his every move; the way his long fingers wrapped around the bottle, the way his tongue swiped over his plump lips, the way his hazel eyes glinted under the fluorescent lights. He bit his lip and gave you a smug grin - he knew he had you wrapped around his finger.

 _So he wants to play dirty, huh?_ You felt a sudden surge of confidence. _Two can play at this game._

You pulled your last lollipop from your pocket. _What can you say? You had to keep something sugary on you at all times._ You slowly unwrapped the paper and licked your lips, keeping eye-contact with him at all times. _Just act cool. Act sexy. Be sexy._ Although you could see him reddening noticeably, you were hoping that your sexy persona was holding up. You took the lollipop into your mouth and hollowed out your cheeks, sucking down hard. You fluttered your eyes shut and moved it around in your mouth. When you looked up at him through your lashes, he had one arm on the counter, his fingers resting on his chin. He had pushed his hair behind his ears and his eyes had turned black, daring you to go on.

 _You were doing that to him_. You couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. This was too much fun.

To finish off your little act, you popped the sucker out of your mouth, a thin trail of saliva following it, and stuck out your tongue. You gave one long, suggestive lick from the bottom to the top. Then, you circled your tongue around and clamped your mouth down on it again. 

A little smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. His stare grew even more intense as he raised an eyebrow at you. He settled into a relaxed position, exuding confidence - you had to remind yourself to close your mouth so that you don’t drool. The energy he was giving off sent tingles through your body and heat crawled up your neck, onto your face. All the while, he was looking you up and down like a starving animal watching its prey just before it goes in for the kill. You felt so exposed under his gaze, so _wanted_. Pure lust was surging through your bloodstream.

“Uh, hey, Y/N. Hello! Earth to Y/N! What are you-” Ko threw a french fry in your face and you were pulled back into reality. “You want dessert?” 

_Oh, thank God. They didn’t notice anything._

“Nah I’m good.” You took another look at him. He was back to looking at his book, calm and unaffected, but you could tell he was still paying attention. 

“Actually…” a bold idea struck you, “Do you guys wanna go see a movie tonight?” You thought you could see his ears perk up.

“I was wondering when you were gonna ask!” Maybe if you said it loud enough, he would hear it. Now you didn’t exactly know what to do _if_ or _when_ he showed up at the movie theater, but knew that you wanted to catch him alone. You needed to see him again to prove that you didn’t just imagine that last couple minutes of your life.

“How about that new horror movie coming out? I think it’s ’Dead Awakening 3’ or something?”

“Sounds like a plan, ‘Dead Awakening 3’ at 8!” You snuck in a small glance at him every once-in-a-while to make sure he was listening.

 _Hopefully this works out. Then, I’ll be certain._ Certain of what, you don’t know, but if he showed up it had to mean _something._

You made sure you were the last one to leave the booth once all of you had finished your food. Over your shoulder you spotted Kylo packing up his things, getting ready to head out as well. _Perfect_. 

“Three tickets for ‘Dead Awakening 3’, please!” Ko’s favorite genre was Horror. For someone brought up by such strict parents, she sure loved her gory movies.

The three of you sat down in the very back of the theater, as per your request. You explained to them you got really bad headaches if you sat up close - which wasn’t a lie - but you also wanted a good look-out to see if a certain someone entered the theater. You might look past all the rumors and the sketchy behavior if he would just show up...

Ten minutes passed. Twenty minutes passed. Thirty minutes into the movie you had convinced yourself that he was still coming, that he was just caught up feeding stray cats and buying homeless children food. And at an hour in you stopped holding your breath. It was probably time to start paying attention to the movie anyway. You pulled your legs up to your chest and rested your chin on your knees, staying like that until the credits rolled. 

SATURDAY

“This is the best day ever!” You yelled into the void, collapsing onto the grass, exhaustion taking over your body. _This_ is what you meant when you said you were gonna make Summer your bitch.

~earlier that day~

“Hey, Y/N.” You woke up to Ko gently shaking your shoulder. “We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

Di was sitting up in her bed across from you, having just been woken up by Ko as well. Crickets chirped in the distance and a small breeze rustled the leaves outside the open window, but no light was coming in. _What time was it...4 AM??_ You silently cursed your friend but you followed her instructions nonetheless. Reaching your hand over your bed, you picked up an oversized t-shirt and a pair of loose pajama shorts. Finally untangling yourself from your blankets, you slipped into a pair of thick socks and some converse.

Once you and Di were fully clothed, Ko led you down to the garage. There, she assigned you a bike and told you to “Hop on!” 

House after house whirred past as the three of you pedaled down the curving neighborhood streets. First the diner, then the bookstore, then the church, then the motel. Cool air hit your face, chilling you to the bone. It wasn’t too long before you were fully awake. You began taking in your surroundings. The town was dead silent. The streets were dimly lit by flimsy light posts spaced every 20 feet or so. And although you were riding in silence, you were kept entertained by the sounds of the world waking up. Birds were cooing, crickets were chirping, lightning bugs were buzzing near your ears. You were wrapped in a blanket of warm, Summer air. 

After some time, you noticed there weren’t any more houses along the road - which had now turned into a dirt path. Your handlebars quivered as you navigated the uneven ground. You were slowly but surely ascending a hill. Your breathing grew heavier from the effort. The glow of the town was fading behind you, and moonlight illuminated the trail, guiding you to your destination. Ko stopped a couple feet ahead of you. She held up a hand and motioned for you all to get off your bikes. You did so and leaned it against a tree nearby. The three of you continued on foot until the trees opened into a small clearing. You were at the top of a cliff overlooking the water.

“We’re here.”

You sat down next to your friends in the dewy grass. The moon was dissolving into the deep purple sky and you could see the very tip of the sun peeking over the horizon. A wooden outpost sat just off to your right, looking to be decades old with red spray paint splattered all over it. Small waves crashed onto the rocks just below you, the sound almost putting you back to sleep. It was beautiful. 

After a long bout of silence Ko murmured, “My dad used to take me here a lot when I was little. He always said it was _our secret place_. He said he only took special people here. And, well, I was waiting to take someone special and here we are. I have you guys.”

“Um excuse me? I have been coming here with you for how many years and you’re just now showing me?” Di playfully shoved Ko.

“It always felt like we were missing someone when we were just two. Being a trio feels...right.” 

Shades of violet turned into bright pinks and oranges before your eyes. You could feel the cold rolling off your skin as rays of light hit you. The three of you sat there, watching the sun rise until your legs started cramping. Golden sunlight covered you and your friends as you picked up your bikes and rode back to town. People were walking their dogs, a little old lady was watering her plants, stores were opening up, and teens were sleeping in. The town was coming to life again. 

Once you reached the house, your friends decided they wanted to go back to sleep. You really wanted to follow them, but you told them you had something you needed to do.

After such a depressing night before you were thankful to have your friends. As you exhaled you decided you were finally going to get over this Kylo guy. This morning made you certain that all you needed was your friends to have a great Summer. You had to talk to him. That was the only way you were going to get some closure. You thought about changing clothes for a minute, but you knew that if you procrastinated at all you would never leave the house. 

_Off we go._

It was a lazy Saturday. Everyone was either relaxing in their houses or out by the water, but you knew he would be here - the bookstore. He seemed like the type to spend his free time perusing the shelves. There was a possibility he was at his house, but you were _not_ going there. That’s just creepy on your part. So, you were trying to do the manifestation thingy and _manifest_ his presence. 

You fidgeted with the door handle. _I can’t do this. I’ll come back another time._ Before you could remove your hand from the knob, the door swung open. A man stepped out, brushing past you. 

_No. I can do this._

You pushed through the door, a soft bell signaling your entrance. 

“Hello-” There he was. Behind the...desk? No, no questions. Actions, woman, actions!

“Hey. I came here to ask you something.” You lost willpower with each word that came out of your mouth. “What...wh-sorry, do you work here?” _Dang it_ , bested by your anxiety and curiosity. 

“Now what may have given you that impression?” His voice was just dripping with sarcasm. _This is hopeless._

“You know what, never mind.” You turned to go, but immediately turned back around. “Actually, I came here to ask you something so I'm gonna ask it.” 

“It wasn’t ‘Do you work here?’” Was he playing dumb or did he actually not see how distressed you were?

“What? No, no. I was wondering...what are w-” 

_DING!_

A group of people walked through the door, oblivious to the struggle happening in front of them.

You brought your voice to a whisper, losing every ounce of confidence you had worked up. “I-I’m gonna go.” 

Before he had a chance to answer, you were heading to the back of the store. Tears were prickling at the corners of your eyes. Your throat started closing up. _This was such a mistake_. And so, you found yourself back at the only place you felt safe. 

When you reached your little nook, you collapsed onto the hardwood floor - your knees had been shaking since you walked in. Drawing in a shaky breath, you focused on keeping your eyes dry - the palms of your hands pressed into your eyes. _Just calm down. You’re fine._ It was a lie, but it was better than letting yourself throw a pity party. For the next few minutes you let yourself cool down. You noticed the window was ajar again. The fresh air drifting in comforted you, the familiar sound of children playing and waves crashing soothed your pounding head. You laid your head on the window ledge, closing your eyes. You stayed like this for a long time.

“Ahem.” You didn’t move from your position. “I’m just going to put these books away.” You gave a tired exhale.

Cardboard scratched against wood, as books were being slid into place. You could hear the thumping of a large foot on the ground behind you. _Thrump thrump thrump. Thrump thrump thrump._ Old boards creaked beneath you as you shifted onto your knees, your t-shirt falling just below your mid-thigh. The thumping stopped.

“Y/N?” You could feel a presence next to you. He had knelt down on your left side. Your eyes stayed closed. “Are you okay?”  
  
_God, I hate when people ask that question._

“I thought I’d find you here,” He laughed to himself. “We didn’t get a chance to finish our conversation…” Silence. “What is it that you wanted to ask?”

The first thing you saw when you opened your eyes was yellow light streaming through the window, coating the wooden window frame inches from your face. You lazily flipped your head on its side, finding his eyes. His eyebrows were pinched in concern. You thought for a moment. 

“What are you doing?” The question obviously caught him off-guard. Hell, it caught you off-guard, but you were so emotionally drained you didn't have it in you to be nervous anymore.

“We..well, we’re currently sitting on the floor of my bookstore. We're looking at each other…” Your face hardened. “...But that’s obviously not the answer you want.” He studied the ceiling for a moment. “If I’m being honest, I want to get to know you. I think you’re beautiful.”

Your eyes nearly popped out of your head. There was so much to say but no words made it past your lips. 

“I’m assuming you’ve noticed my interest as I’ve noticed yours-”  
  
“Your interest?” The only emotion you could feel bubbling to the surface was aggravation. “You’ve been sending me mixed signals, pal. First you get a little handsy in front of the bookshelf, then you perv on my friend at the beach right in front of me," with each item you list you become more and more enraged. "Then you buy me candy like you’re my grandpa, then we eye-fuck in the middle of Dixie’s, and then to top it off you don’t come to the theater when I knew, I _knew_ you were listening and now you’re here and I don’t know wha-”

His lips crashed into yours. Bolts of electricity shot through your body. Your eyes fluttered closed as you moaned softly into his mouth and butterflies filled your stomach. Heat crawled up your body, to your face. He was devouring your lips as if you were going to up and disappear at any moment. Your movements were clunky, trying to follow his ferocious pace, your mouths crashing together like waves against the shore, but his lips guided your own, massaging them into submission. His tongue darted across your bottom lip and you quickly parted your lips, letting his tongue delve into your mouth. He was intoxicating. He tasted like cinnamon and Old Spice - like something you had been missing out on your whole life. 

Your hands found their way to his broad chest as your toes curled beneath you. He grabbed your waist and easily hoisted you up, slamming you down roughly on his lap so you were straddling his muscular thighs. You moaned at the sudden assertiveness, your hands instinctively weaving through his hair, lightly tugging on it. He growled into the kiss, sending your brain into overdrive and shockwaves straight to your core. Every bad thought you’d ever had about him faded from your mind and was now being replaced with the addicting feeling of his lips on your own. In your mind, he was now only defined as this moment, here and now - warm, strong, ferocious, needy, dominant. 

The sound of shuffling feet a couple aisles down caught your attention. The thought struck you - you were still in a public bookstore and there were at least five other people in here with you. Five people who could easily walk back here and find you. Breathlessly, you pulled away from him. He was about to protest, leaning in for another round when you put a finger up to his lips. His mouth was bruised and kiss-stained just as you imagined yours was. Your eyes wandered around the room as you focused on listening for coming footsteps. Nothing. 

“Shit…” you gasped under your breath, letting your hands fall from his lips. 

“Yeah, shit.” His hands were now resting on your bare thighs, absentmindedly rubbing small circles with his thumbs, which affected you much more than it should have. Still, you didn’t try to move from your position - your hands now softly gripping his arms. 

“We should probably…” You really didn’t want this to stop, but you knew that he probably couldn’t risk being seen making out with a customer while he’s on his shift. 

“We should. But,” he placed his hands back on your waist and your body erupted in butterflies all over again. “I want to see you again.” 

“Okay,” was all you could squeak out. 

“Tomorrow morning. My house.” He was back to being the demanding man you had grown to know. Despite his domineering tone, he carefully lifted you off of his lap and placed you down where you had been sitting just minutes before. On his way up, he grabbed the books that had been scattered around the floor whilst you two were busy eating each other’s faces. 

“I need to put away the rest of these books.” And with that he was gone. 

You watched him make his way back to the front of the store, looking as if he had done nothing other than organize books back here this entire time. Your mind was still fuzzy, buzzing from an overload of emotion. You just kissed Kylo Ren. I mean, you still had so many questions left unanswered, but the main ones were pretty much cleared up. 

_Tomorrow morning. My house._ You mulled over his words. Even as you exited the store the words bounced around in your head, reverberating louder than any of your own thoughts. The pavement beneath your feet became a blur as you quickened your pace. You were running. Your body was finally reacting to the excess amount of energy you had built up. Your feet were leading you past the store, past the church, all the way out of town, and up the familiar trail you walked this morning. The gravel under your feet turned to grass as you made it to the peak. You were so high on adrenaline you became frantic. You had already expended all of your physical energy, so the only thing left to do was scream. 

“This is the best day ever!” You yelled into the void, collapsing onto the grass, exhaustion taking over your body. _This_ is what you meant when you said you were gonna make Summer your bitch.

  
  
  



	6. Dark Paradise

To go or not to go? That is the question. You had mulled over his words all night, tossing and turning in your little twin bed. 

_ Tomorrow morning. My house. _

Yesterday you were so full of dopamine you hadn’t realized that by “Tomorrow morning” he meant Sunday. AKA the day you had to go to church with the Saitos. AKA the day you need to make up for running out on last week. And now you really had no excuse to get out of it. You had gone through multiple scenarios by 6 AM. 

The first option was to just ignore this strange man you’d only met a little over a week ago and stay with your friends. Orrrrr you go skipping off with Kylo into the sunset and tell your friends to go screw themselves. Well it’s obvious which one you should choose, but your heart was screaming at you to choose the other option. Maybe there's a way to get out of it...

You could hear the Saitos waking up downstairs; making coffee, pulling out chairs, turning on the news, flipping through the newspaper. Sheets on the other side of the room rustled as Di rolled over. You were losing time to make a decision. 

“Kids, church in one hour!” Mrs. Saito jolted you fully awake, but you chose not to move. From behind you you heard floorboards squeaking and feet shuffling across the room.

“Hey, Y/N,” Ko shook you lightly, “My mom said it’s time to get up. Church is in an hour.” You made the final decision in your head and rolled over gingerly.

“Ugh, hey,”  _ Cough cough.  _ “I-I think I’m sick again.” You had read enough books to know the basics of lying: don’t go into too much detail, and don’t be overdramatic. “I don’t know if I can go.” You drew your hand up to your head, pretending to massage your temples.

“Really? Again?” Di walked over to your bedside. “I thought you said you were staying out of the Sun?”

“Sorry,” Lying was coming surprisingly easier than you thought.  _ Maybe I should be an actor?  _ “I thought I was but I guess  _ cough cough _ I messed up...I really wanna go to church today to make up for last week,” which wasn’t a lie, “but I think if I go it would just be another case of me having to run out.”

“You know my parents are reeeeaalllyyyy not gonna like that, right? Like, I want you to do whatever you need to, but my mom and dad will side-eye you for the rest of the trip…” She was warning you.

_ Cough cough  _ “I’d rather be yelled at after a day of sleeping than yelled at in the middle of church when I ask to go outside.” 

“Mmmmmmm, okay.” Ko had her hands on her hips and bit her lip, probably thinking of ways to share this news with her parents. “I’ll tell them.”

“Hey, get better soon okay! You need to stop getting sick so that we can keep having a kickass Summer, remember?!” Di playfully tapped you on the forehead.

“Mhm. Love you guys.” That was definitely not a lie. With your family, trying to get out of something would take so much convincing and fighting you would have given up by now out of pure annoyance.

“Now don’t go throwing any parties while we’re gone haha!” 

You knew it was a joke, but you cringed at the reality of your situation. You were pretending to be sick to get out of church to go to a booty call… But at least you’d be able to see Kylo for a few hours while they’re away and then you could come back and they would never know.  _ They’ll never need to know.  _ A rush of adrenaline passed over you, suddenly exhilarated for this secret meeting.

You rolled over, facing your back to your friends. The room was awkwardly silent.  _ Hopefully, they’ll just throw on clothes and leave soon. _ Thankfully, it only took them a couple minutes to get ready and then they left quietly, probably assuming you had fallen asleep. You didn’t wanna take any chances so you made sure to wait until you heard the door slam shut to sit up. The covers fell to your feet, revealing your outfit - a short white skirt, a little black tank top, white ankle socks, and to top it off, small hoop earrings and a small locket necklace. Little did your friends know that you got up in an anxious fit in the middle of the night and silently tried on 50 outfits before settling on this one and deciding to wear it to bed so that you could sneak out easier. You crawled to the window, peeking out over the bottom ledge.

_ There’s Di, Ko, Mrs. Saito… Where-oh shit.  _ Feet stomped up the stairs. You never knew you could move that fast, but somehow you hopped into bed and pulled the covers up to your nose just before the door swung open.

“Y/N,” You were paralyzed. “There’s food in the fridge for when you...decide you’re feeling well enough to eat. I know that won’t be too long now.” Judgement was seeping out of his voice and piercing your conscience. You held your position, hoping and praying he wouldn’t get any closer. If he saw that you were fully dressed he might get suspicious. But to your surprise he grumbled, “We’ll be back around 2” and left. 

You listened intently to his steps. 3 steps to the landing, 14 steps down the stairs, and 10 more to the front door. The door creaked open and slammed shut and you let out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding. This time, you stayed still for another minute until you were certain nobody was in the house with you. So you crawled back over to the window to check one last time.

In the distance were Ko and Di skipping along, then Mrs. Saito just behind them, and finally Mr. Saito, just outside the house. He gave one final look up at your window and you threw yourself onto the floor in panic. 

_ He didn’t see me right? He couldn’t have seen me. I was fast. _

They were all leaving now. One by one you watched their heads disappear from your window frame, the sound of Ko and Di cackling in the distance.

_ That was way too close for comfort. _

This will be the first time you’re alone together, like, as in not in a public building. You took a moment to slow down your racing heart, closing your eyes and trying to comfort yourself with the confirmation that you’re a strong, confident woman who can definitely handle being alone with a man. Yeah. Totally.

You glanced at the clock beside your bed.  _ 7 AM. I can definitely make it home before 2. That’s 7 whole hours! Eh, I doubt we’ll actually hang out that long anyway. Perfect. _ You pulled on your white sneakers and headed out, ready for whatever was to come. 

Now that you thought about it, you had never really walked to Kylo’s house before. Sure, you saw his house when you were at church, but that whole day was a haze. You don’t remember anything. So you made your way toward the church, making sure to check around corners before you kept going so as to not run into the Saitos. Luckily, everyone in town was already at church so the streets were pretty clear. Once the mossy, stone church was in sight, you peeled off of Main Street, onto a gravel path leading into the trees. This had to be it. And sure enough, you were right.

Once the trees had wrapped around you and you were fully surrounded by woods you found yourself standing in front of a giant house. The lawn was littered with blooming rose bushes and stepping stones. In the corner was a stone bird bath and next to that; a rusty patio furniture set. Even though it was Summer, some shedding Spring leaves were strewn about the forest floor. But the most captivating part was the house itself. Intricate white trim detailed the corners and windows, popping against the dark wood. You guessed that it was built in the early 1900’s. The architecture was gothic and edgy. Framing the front door was a porch that stretched across the whole front of the house. The contrast of the solid black against the lively green backdrop made it look like a scene straight out of a movie. But underneath all of the beauty it felt...dark. And not just because it was a huge, looming black building in the middle of a clouded forest. Something about standing, small and fragile, in front of it made you feel like you were being confronted by a dark force. The hairs on the back of your neck were standing up. It felt as if a hundred pairs of eyes were streamlined at you through the underbrush. You huffed.

“You can do this. You can do this.” 

Gravel crackled beneath your shoes, sounding like gunshots in the deafening silence surrounding you. As you approached the steps, you caught movement out of the corner of your eye. The shudder in the window to your right swayed lightly.  _ Hm.  _ The boards creaked as you stepped up on the porch. To your right was the wicker chair you saw him in last Sunday morning. 

This is really happening. You chewed on your bottom lip, fidgeting with your fingers. You were trying to come up with a game plan: give him the eyes, lure him in with your charm, and then you’d...well, you don’t know exactly what you were expecting from this interaction. But before you bring your hand up to knock, Kylo appeared in front of you, holding the door open. He had on a muted, green button down and those light linen pants. His hair was effortlessly brushed back, framing his strong jawline. Somehow, he always dressed as if he was ready to go to a spur-of-the-moment book signing or something. 

“You came.” You shifted from one foot to the other, picking at the hem of your shirt, unable to think of a response. His eyes briefly scanned your body then met yours from behind his thick-rimmed glasses, an eyebrow cocked in amusement. “Well, would you like to come in or would you prefer to stand in the doorway the whole time?”

Your eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’ll come in-if that’s okay with you.” 

“Of course. I invited you after all.”  _ That’s right, he invited you. No need to be so nervous. He wants you to be here. _

He gestured for you to enter and closed the door behind you. You took in the interior.  _ Hm, it looks even bigger on the inside. _ On either side of you were two rooms. One open, one shut. The open room was filled to the brim with little trinkets. You spotted a dusty typewriter, a few insect showcases hung up on the wall, a couple wicker baskets, an ancient rocking chair, and a bookcase filled with jars of things. Empty coffee mugs balanced upon piles of obscure books sat atop a dark mahogany desk at the center of the room. The other door was very plain, and dusty - it’s probably the door to the basement or something. 

Straight ahead, beyond the entry, was a grand staircase lined with a blood red carpet and railings that curved and twisted the length of the stairs. And in the middle of the ceiling was a crystal chandelier, sparkling in the sunlight coming from the massive windows on the walls behind it. Giant wooden columns were methodically planted in the corners of the house.

“Wow.” Was all you could manage as you craned your neck up to gawk at the elegant paintings that littered the expansive walls. You felt so inadequate, so dull standing in a room so opulent. You were beginning to feel very out of place. You took a look at Kylo. He was effortlessly leaned against a column, running a hand through his hair, the other on his hip. He was runway-ready and you were wearing a tacky skirt and skimpy tank top.  _ Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea... _

“I can show you around if you want,” You eagerly nodded your head, trying to push all of your worries to the back of your mind “Here, follow me.” He put his hand on the small of your back and led you up the stairs. You let him guide you, enjoying the warmth pulsing through your body, emanating from his touch. Sometimes, when you had to make a turn, he would cup your side and brush against your exposed midriff, sending chills straight to your core. You had to try not to moan at his every little touch. He was just radiating sex appeal.

The house was even larger than you imagined - the second level had hallways that extended back for a couple dozen feet. Every hall was lined with paintings and mirrors, making you feel less like you were in someone's house and more like you were in a museum. As you passed a few antique items on pedestals, he offered a background on them. He said that his grandparents collected antiques and he felt like he should honor them by putting their years and years of dedication to antiquing on display. After a decent amount of walking he pulled you into the third room on the right. 

“The library. My favorite room. I have books in here dating all the way back to the 1650’s. And of course I have all of the classics,” he weaved in out of the bookcases while you stood in the doorway, taking in the massive room.

Suddenly it dawned on you - it was just like the bookstore. No wonder it was so homely - it was basically an extension of his home library. 

“Sadly, I spend so much time working at the bookstore I barely have any time to care for my own collection, but I made sure to read every single book here, so as to not completely neglect them.” 

You were already standing in front of a bookcase, ghosting your fingertips over the spines, silently mouthing the titles. You happened to stumble upon the mystery section. 

“You can read some if you would like.” You glanced over your shoulder at him. “Don’t be afraid to touch them. Books were meant to be read. They’re degraded to nothing more than coffee table decoration if we simply admire them from afar. I saw that you liked my other recommendation. Try this one.” He plucked a small, blue book from the shelf and handed it to you. There was no title, but that just made you more intrigued.

“Oh, did you see me reading it on the beach?”  _ No, he was too busy watching Di. _ You opened the book to distract yourself from your own intrusive thoughts.

“Yes. Your reaction to my staring was quite jarring, though.”

“Well, what did you expect? You stare like a creep, I tell you to fuck off.” You scoffed, amazed at his ego. How can one man be so confusing?

“And I suspect that your staring isn’t just as ‘creepy’? Don’t think I haven’t seen you doing the same to me…” Heat rose to your face.  _ He does have a point. _

“I-I-don’t flip this on me! Sometimes I space out and you just so happen to be in my line of sight, so what? I’m talking about you completely perving on my friend!”

“At your-you thought I was staring at your friend?” The corners of his lips lifted upwards.

“Of course! Wait...you weren’t?”

“No, I was looking at you. I didn’t even know you were there with friends. So when you so kindly flipped me off I was...curious to say the least.” He leaned his shoulder against the bookcase across from you, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

“Oh” You quickly shut up. 

“Here, let’s keep walking.” He led you out of the home library and out into the hallway. He had a strange way of knowing exactly when you felt uncomfortable and then being able to change the topic seamlessly. You kept turning corners and crossing under arches, admiring the unique architecture of the house. 

“Hey, so...I actually wanna get to know you. We’ve never really talked before. Like,  _ talk  _ talked.” It was a little blunt, but you needed to know more about Kylo Ren.

He slowed down his stride, walking next to you. “Okay. What would you like to know?”

“Um, well. It’s been kind of gnawing at me for a while, and I’m sure you’re so tired of rumors and stuff, but why does everyone in the town seem to dislike you? Or - maybe not  _ dislike,  _ but people say some pretty nasty things. Like, they say you’re a hermit and you’ve never talked to anyone in your time living here, and oh my god I’m digging myself a hole. Feel free to stop me at any time…”

“No, no it’s fine. Now that I think about it, nobody has ever bothered to confront me about the rumors. You’re the first person to do that.” He focused his gaze on the floor.

“So you’re not offended?” You winced.

“No,” 

“Oh thank God.” You let out a loud sigh of relief, slapping your palms on your thighs.

“In fact, I’m glad you came to me to ask instead of talking behind my back like everyone else. I appreciate that.” He stopped to focus on you, true sincerity in his eyes. After a moment he started back up, “Well, where do I start? Should I just tell you my whole life story?” He giggled at his own joke and you couldn’t help but start to fall for him. Seeing him giggle for the first time made something click in your brain: he’s a real person. All this time you had only known him through rumors and sporadic interactions. But now you were here, in his house, talking to him and he was...normal. Nothing like the creep you thought he was just a few days ago.

“I guess...I was just wondering why people seem to talk behind your back like that.” You wiped off the dust that had collected on your fingers from dragging them across every table you pass. Kylo stuffed his large hands into his front pockets and bit his lip, thinking of where to start.

“Mmmm. I came here when I turned 20. I needed to...move away from my hometown so I decided to choose the smallest town I could find and start my life anew there. And here I am. As soon as I got here I put my life's savings into opening up the bookstore. I already had a sizable collection, so I decided to put my books to good use and make my passion a career. Anyway, when I first got here I was so busy building my business and fixing up this massive house I didn’t have any time to socialize. And I guess in a small town like this, it’s an important custom to have housewarming parties and go to neighborhood cookouts, but I was never one for those kinds of things. And my house isn’t exactly neighboring anyone. I suppose I don’t mind being secluded - it makes having hobbies much easier. Not to mention, I don’t practice religion, so that rubbed most everyone the wrong way. Although I do find it hypocritical how those who say they live and breath God’s word can be so hateful. ‘Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.’ Ephesians 4:32. In my opinion, I never stood a chance of fitting into this town. Even so, I planted my roots here and so I will stay to nurture the life I created. I made peace with my separation from my fellow townspeople, and won’t let their judgement get to me. If the God they pray to is real, they’ll get their punishments.”

“They never gave you the chance to prove yourself… By chance, do you know the Saitos?”

“Mei and Len? I do, but we’re not quite friends if that’s what you were wondering. Actually, if I had to name one person in town who dislikes me the most, it would probably be Lenny. Why?”

“So, I’m here with my friend, Ko - Atsuko - and her parents are Mr. and Mrs. Saito. But no worries they don’t know about you. My friends don’t even know I’ve talked to you.”

“And maybe we should keep it that way...” He ran his hands through his hair, gears turning in his head. “Ah, here we are.” You didn’t realize that during your conversation you had gone down a flight of stairs and travelled deeper into a maze of hallways. You stood in a large, white arch at the end of a hallway.

The room was shockingly empty save for a shiny, black grand piano and a couple plush chairs surrounding a coffee table. A cassette player sat on the table, a record still in it. The wall was lined with floor-length mirrors, illuminating the whole space with natural light. Unlike the other rooms, there was no rug, no paintings, and no fancy detailing on the walls.

“This is the piano room. This is where I like to come to...let off steam.” 

He walked further into the room and sat on the piano bench, laying his fingers lightly on the keys. You followed his lead and sat next to him, resting your hands awkwardly in your lap. Suddenly he struck a chord, closing his eyes as his fingers moved without a hint of doubt. The melody floated through the room, dancing around your ears, engulfing all of your senses. Eventually you, too, closed your eyes, letting the vibrations from the giant instrument in front of you roll through your body. 

Kylo opened an eye and peeked at you, admiring the way you got lost in the sensation, swaying and mouthing to unknown words. He knew it was best to keep silent because you would shy away as soon as you knew he was watching you. He had noticed your reservation the moment you walked through the door, and thought you might loosen up here. He closed his eyes again, content. The song started slowly, the chords simple and plain. Then, he sped up ever so slightly, the music now more complex. There was emotion behind each note. Suddenly, the music changed keys and hastened. There was constant dissonance - conflicting chords battling for prominence. Each measure had a new sound and you couldn’t predict, in the slightest, what would happen next. The tempo gradually slowed back down and the beautifully simple melody returned, signaling the closing of the story.

In the midst of his playing, he scooted closer to you, reaching his arm around you in order to play the keys on your end. You only opened your eyes once you felt his warmth surrounding you. You were almost sitting on top of him now and his face was next to yours. He hit the last chord and opened his eyes. Then he turned to look at you, his face inches from yours, and your legs squished together on the short bench. 

“Did you like that?”

“Very much.” The gravity of his body was pulling you in, and you couldn’t help but glance down at his lips. You leaned in slowly and fluttered your eyes closed. But he grabbed your chin, stopping you just as your lips brushed his.

“Mmmm, you don’t want to do that, Miss Y/N. You don’t know what you’d be getting into.” 

“Wha-what...?” Your eyes shot back open and you could see on his face that he was fighting with himself - he wanted this too. So why was he holding back? Your eyebrows cinched together. Wasn’t that why you were here? You had kissed not even 24 hours ago... Your mind was spinning.

“Let’s walk around some more, shall we?” And he was up, heading for the hallway. You sat there for a moment, your mind blank, then got up, not really knowing what you were doing. He had waited for you in the archway, and held out his arm for you to hold. This was either him being his gentlemanly, charming self or he felt extremely bad for rejecting you. Either way, you couldn’t look him in the eye. You drifted down the hallway together, running your fingertips against the wall, feeling the bumps and cracks in the aging wallpaper, letting it bring you back to reality. Once your head cleared up, you were less embarrassed and more curious.

“And this,” he swung open a heavy wooden door “is my bedroom.”

Right smack dab in the middle of the room was a king-sized bed, still unmade. In the corner was a desk with folders stuffed with papers and more books, stacked all around it. At first glance it was messy, chaotic but you realized things were organized in a system that you couldn’t understand, but you knew was there. Kylo didn’t seem like the messy type.

“I apologize for the mess - I didn’t really have any time to clean.” You scoffed at how this pristine room was messy for him. 

“It’s okay, really.” You walked further in, entranced by just how  _ Kylo _ this room was. Everything was organized yet thrown around everywhere, there was a lingering scent of soap and cinnamon, the windows were open, blowing a cool breeze around the room. The midday Sun was shining rays onto the floor in front of you. Without much thought you plopped down onto his bed, your legs more tired than you realized. When you peered up you noticed he had a giant mirror hung on his ceiling directly over his bed.  _ How narcissistic can a person get? _

“Hey, so about what happened in the other room…” Before you could finish he cut you off.

“Would you like a drink? It’s hot out there today. I could get you something if you would like?” 

_ He’s avoiding it... Very uncharacteristic of him. This man is giving me major whiplash. One minute he lets his guard down with me and the next minute he plain out rejects me. And now he’s showing me his freaking bedroom! _

“Why are you avoiding my question? What happened back there?” All your questions were bubbling to the surface, ready to spill out.

“I’m-we don’t have to talk about this today.” He crossed the room toward you. You could feel the bed slump as he sat down on the other side of the bed.

“Why not talk about this today? Are we even going to see each other again after this? I thought...I thought you wanted...I just don’t understand. Kylo Ren, you are so confusing.” Tears stung your eyes, threatening to reveal themselves.

“Y/N, you have to know I’m trying not to move too fast. We’ve hardly known each other for a week, you’re living under the Saito’s roof, you’re young and inexperienced. Don’t you want to wait-”

“Woah, woah. Slow down. I have a couple things to say. First off, yes, we’ve only known each other for, what, a week and a half? But we’ve also made out so I think we’re past the ‘polite conversation’ stage. Also, like I said, the Saitos don’t know I even know who you are. And lastly, ‘young and inexperienced?’ Why do you think you know anything about me? I’m 20, I’ve had enough experience.” Your hands were planted on the bed, steadying you as you got all of this off your chest. And he had the audacity to laugh.

“Twenty years old...and you believe that’s grown up? I’ve got 15 years on you. I moved here when you were a toddler. Miss, Y/N, you have no idea what you’re doing.”

“Um, fuck you! You don’t know me.” Both of you had moved to the center of the bed, facing each other and breathing heavy from arguing. His eyes flitted to your lips, and yours did the same to his. The room was hot and heavy. You were perfectly still because you knew that if you moved you might do something you regret. You were so close you could feel his breath ghosting over your skin.

“Did you think your bare thighs haven’t taunted me this whole day? Seeing you flounce around in that tiny skirt of yours, teasing me? I want to tear those pieces of fabric from your body and onto the floor of my bedroom. I want to pin you underneath me as I run my mouth all over your body. I want to devour you. I want you to squirm like the helpless little girl you are under my touch. I want it so bad...and I see you do too,” your chest heaved up and down noticeably “But don’t mistake me when I say good things come to those who wait. Do you understand?” Your eyes were glazed over.

“Yes, Kylo.”

“Good girl.” With one last lingering glance at your lips, he stood up from the bed. And acting as if the tension in the room had magically disappeared, he casually began rolling up his sleeves. 

“Oh, what time do you need to be back by?”

“Wha-how…?” You hadn’t told him that you needed to be home at a certain time.

“I know you snuck out. Because that’s what immature girls like you do.” The side of his mouth curved into a satisfied smirk. You could feel your face heating up again, but this time it wasn’t so much annoyance as it was excitement. You gave up, looking down at the comforter you were picking at.

“I should probably be back around one I guess. I know church ends at 12 but I don’t know how long they take to eat so…” You listened to his leather shoes thump against the hardwood. He picked up the clock sitting on his desk.

“You said one?”

“Yup.”

“...It’s 1:28.”

Your eyes widened. “Shit”

You scrambled to your feet, completely forgetting everything that just happened. A new, more pressing issue was now at hand. You sprinted for the door, but stopped in the hallway, realizing you weren’t paying attention to how you got here.  _ Shit, shit, shit, shit.  _

“Follow me.” Kylo whirred past you, guiding you to the other end of the hallway, but instead of turning into the next hallway to the right, he went left. 

“That’s a wall..”

“No, it’s a short cut.” He reached out for a hidden knob and twisted it, opening an invisible door. You wouldn’t have been able to see that door if you tried looking for it...But you were too stressed to ask questions. After taking a few turns Kylo opened a door and sunlight streamed in. You ended up outside somehow.

“Thank you for inviting me. I really have to go. I’ll see you later, maybe, I don’t know. Bye.” 

You were running away from his house before you could finish your sentence. Your feet carried you all the way through the maze of trees and out to the side of the church. You were careful not to draw any attention to yourself in case people were still around. Walking down the side streets, you replayed scenarios in which Mr. Saito was waiting for you just inside the house and would shoot you as soon as you stepped in the door or where your friends found out you lied and then proceeded to kick you out of the house for the rest of Summer. One thing was pulsing through your mind:  _ get to the house before them _ .

You rounded the block and the house was finally in sight. Glancing around every once-in-a-while you’d check to make sure your friends weren’t right behind you. But you made it safely to the front door. 

Suddenly you heard a pair of girls shouting from the other end of the street.  _ They’re here.  _ Just like this morning, you moved as fast as your legs could possibly take you. You dashed into the house, making sure not to slam the door. Then you raced up the stairs and scrambled to take your shoes and earrings off. The chattering was getting louder. You decided to commit and change into pajamas. You tore off your shirt and skirt, tossing them into your suitcase. Then you jumped into bed, turning to face the wall and slamming your eyes shut just as you heard the front door squeak open.

_ Definitely too close for comfort. _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for this one taking so long, but all of my end of term assignments are piling up and are seriously sucking all of my time. So much for posting every other day lol


End file.
